The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-04-22
TRADEs-UN1oNs IN ENGLAND.
Some Enormous, Wealthy, and Long Estaf
lished WOrkmen's Organizations.

Some Enormous, Wealthy, and Long Estab-
lished Workmen's Organizations.
By order of the House of Commons
Messrs Hansard have just printed an appen-
dix to the returns of the chief register of
friendly societies for the year ending Deem
Der 81, 1885, giving list of registered trades
unions in the United Kingdom, with the dates
of their establishment, and in some cases.
particulars of their funds, incomes and men,
bership.
From this it appears that the Oldest of all
trade-unions in the kingdom is the Steam
Engine Makers Society, Manchester, which
was established on November2 2, 1924, and has
now e10, ABS accumulated funds, and mem
bership of 1852. The union possessing the
largest fund of those which have sent in re-
turns Though it must be remembered that
several of the largest societies, such, for ex-
ample, as the Amalgamated Society of En-
gineers, have given no particulars of their
finances) is the Amalgamated Society Of
Carpenters and yoiners, with headquarters
at Manchester. The funds of this organiza-
ton are stated at ESQ, 851; annual income,
963, 122, and membership 25, 7S1. 1t is, how
ever, closely pressed by the .Amalgamated
Society OF Railway Servants of England, Ire
land, Scotland and Wales, whose head
quarters arein City road London. The funds
of this society are stated at ESQ., S9, with an
annual income of e14,375, and 9,o54 mem
bers.
The largest annual income-e7o, 7os-is
claimed by the United Society of Boiler
makers and Iron Shipbuilders of Newcastle
on-Tyne, with 27,695 members, and accu-
mulated funds amounting to EDS, 317 The
Durham Miners Association appears to be-
so far as the returns show, numerically the
strongest union in the kingdom, having
$4,000 members with an income of e46, 1853
and funds amounting to 935, 1893. Some of
the titles of these societies show the extern
sive ramifications of trades unionsm. That
there is Warehousemen's Philanthropic
Society in Bradford should occasion no sur
prise, but the same town boasts of Stuff
makers-up Provident Society, with consider
able funds, and an income of more than
El,O0Oayear. The card-setting- machine-tend
ers, drillers and cutters tof the River Wear
Dutch yeast importers, trimmers and tenn
erS, crabberS and singers, silk-ballers pot
tiers moldmakers boot-top cutters, hammer
men, tin-canister carriage straight
eners tape sizers, clippers and drillers, brass
cock-hnishers, the amalgamated chimney
sweeps, the amicable wool-staplers and the
rundlet coopers-all these and many more
have separate trade organizations of their
own for mutual protection
Women, too have learned the utility of
combination, as may be gathered from the
titles of the Westminster and Pimlico Branch
of the London Tailoresses Trade-union, and
the Rochdale Male and Female Card and
Blowing-room Operatives Association. In
Sunderland there is a Shipyard-helpers'
Association, and Birkenhead possesses the
distinction of being the Headquarters of the
United Society of Holdersup of Great Britain
and Ireland, which has BIT members an an
nual income of 1885, and 2275 funded
London Standard.